I am frequently told that my paintings are to many people like glimpses of heaven. With this in mind, my latest work, Mountain Retreat, might be thought of as the kind of heavenly vision that any enthusiast of country living would long for. In Mountain Retreat I share a vision of nature as the Peaceable Kingdom, where man fits harmoniously into a glorious natural setting, and gentle creatures - wild turkeys, deer, and ducks - live without fear.

Mountain Retreat, first work in a new series that bears the same name, is the spiritual heir to my well known print from 2002, "A Peaceful Retreat." Like the earlier painting, Mountain Retreat explores the nuances of man's interaction with nature.

- Thomas Kinkade